IN APRIL Villa Tututepec de Melchor Ocampo, celebrated 1,653 years of continuous human occupation with a series of special events.

San Pedro Tututepec, as it used to be known, lies eight kilometers off the Coastal Highway, perched atop a cluster of foothills rich in lush vegetation. At the time of the Spanish Conquest (1519-1522), this part of the Oaxacan coast had long been under the control of a Mixtec dynasty based in Tututepec.

According to interpretation of surviving Mixtec codices, on April 3, 357 AD, the king of Tilantongo sent Prince Matatzín to lead 20,000 families, the high priest of Achiutla and 50 other priests to colonize the rich lands and trading routes of the coastal plains.

The place they chose they called “Yucu Saa” (Hill - yucu, of the Birds - saá), named for the pyramid-like peak covered with seabirds that they encountered. Matatzín found this to be a propitious sign and, when they had climbed to the summit, they were awed by the view: the wetlands of Chacahua; the great Pacific; the green plains and the mountains beyond Pochutla and Juquila.

The Lord of Tututepec was at the power center of the Lower Mixtec empire during the Post classic and was involved in constant wars, first with Zapotecs, then the Aztecs. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the Zapotecs allied themselves with the conquistadors. At the end of 1521 Hernán Cortés sent a group of soldiers to discover where the Aztec gold originated. According to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma, the gold was sent to the garrison at Huaxyacac (now the city of Oaxaca) and from there to Zaachila, where they were told that the gold originally came from Tututepec.

The Spaniards left for Tututepec, took the Lord prisoner and tortured him, asking a ransom in gold for his release. Finally they murdered him and returned to the Valley of Oaxaca, disregarding Cortés´orders to stay and settle the Tututepec region.

The county of Tututepec encompasses the town of Rio Grande and the Chacahua Lagoon wetlands area. The town boasts a fine modern museum to house the relics of this ancient zone. The great stone carvings that were on the grounds of the town church - - once the site of the Mixtec Temple of the Sky - - plus samples of tools, weapons and ceramics that span the centuries can be seen here.

There’s the famous Goddess of the Sky stela, the jaguar thought to have been the temple guardian, which lost its head to raiding forces from Jicayán, and what appears to be a Plumed Serpent. The ties to other cultures are evident; some stone carvings show strong Toltec influences and there are ceramic figures that mirror the famous gold masks of Monte Alban. Although Tututepec was never completely dominated by the Aztecs, it is clear that it was strongly influenced by the Nahuatls. Its name was changed to Tototepec (toto - Bird, tepec - Hill), then to Totoltepec. It became Tututepec in 1623.

The museum also has a gift shop and a photo gallery and artifacts that document the Colonial and Independence eras. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday until 2 p.m. A 10 peso donation is requested.

Not all the town relics are in the museum. Under a tile roof next to the church are the temple’s original and successive bells, including one pierced by a bullet from the Revolution.

There are ruins of what many believe to be the original Mixtec settlement here in La Soledad. And near the town of San José del Progreso is la Piedra de San Vicente with its ancient cave paintings.
Near to town is the Hill of the Birds, where that amazing view, which so impressed Matatzín and his followers, can still be enjoyed. In July the townspeople hike the up there to enjoy a “Monday of the Hill”, very much like the famous Guelaguetza in Oaxaca City.

Tututepec is famous for its Fandango de Varitas, a kind of chilena music which traditionally features five or six musicians playing guitar, violin, cajón (a percussion instrument fashioned from a wooden box), charrasca and a cántaro (a kind of bass made from a clay pot).

The Fandango is danced at all important fiestas, including every Friday in October leading up to Day of the Dead.

The anniversary celebration this month will offer lots of opportunities to see the Fandango. But there’ll be folkloric presentations from groups from all around the region and from neighboring states.You will also be able to sample some of the local culinary specialties such as chicken mole, encaladas, suspiros and bolitas.

Local crafts and artwork will also be on sale, including elaborately embroidered blouses, bead work and figures carved from coconuts. There’l be seminars on the history, ecology and culture of the region, plus live stock shows, rodeos and sports.